Novel acoustic techniques for microelectronic failure analysis and characterization

Acoustic/phonon characterization techniques using active sample probing for localized phonon generation such as scanning electron acoustic microscopy (SEAM), scanning photo or laser acoustic microscopy (SPAM/SLAM) and scanning ion acoustic microscopy (SIAM) are recent developments as extensions of acoustic analysis. In addition to the active electron beam probing mode, passive acoustic detection could also be used in cases where intrinsic phonon generation or phonon-mediated relaxation mechanisms occur during device operation as stated in R. Lifshitz (2002). This technique is currently under active research at the National University of Singapore as a means of dynamically characterizing parameters of microelectromechanical (MEMS) devices such as RF microswitches, resonators, accelerometers and gyroscopes.